Vending machine



April 6, 1937. A J. KLQESS 2,076,299

VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n r....'.'....., '1.'....41'..'.'.'....'.....'.."'..'man'...'...."'.'.........1.....v..

f ATTORNEY.

l April 6, 1937-.

A. J. KLOESS VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 23, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ALQM//V J M0555 ATORNEY.

Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES `PATENT GFFICE VENDING MACHINE The present invention relates to vending machines and refers particularly to improvements in coin controlled machines for dispensing articles of merchandise.

Machines for dispensing articles of merchandise, such as candy, chewing gum, cigarettes and the like, are very common. The mechanism of such machines is usually released for operation by the insertion of a proper coin, whereupon some manual operation, such as pressing a plunger into the machine, is required to eject the desired article :from the machine. It is a common occurrence to observe a person, having dropped the coin into a machine of the type mentioned, shaking the machine and repeatedly pressing against the plunger, but with no success, but jamming the mechanism. Some part of the complicated mechanism has become stuck, and no elort, short of wrecking the machine, suffices to dispense the article.

With the foregoing in view, it is the general object of the invention to provide a coin controlled vending machine of simplicity, economical to manufacture, reliable, and which will not readily get out of order.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a mechanism entirely coin controlled, that is, a mechanism from which articles of merchandise may be dispensed by merely dropping a proper coin into the machine, thereby eliminating the additional manual operation above referred to.

A further obj ect is to provide a machine of this type in which a plurality of articles may be simultaneously dispensed upon merely dropping one proper coin into the machine.

Another object is the provision of a machine fitted with a storage magazine, or hopper, in which a relatively great number of articles to i0 be dispensed may be placed, automatically and gradually to advance into dispensatory position.

These and the further objects and important features of the invention are hereinafter fully set forth and illustrated in the appended draw- 15 ings, of which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a structure embodying the invention and with the casing broken away to disclose the interior mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device also with 59 parts broken away in order to show some portion of the enclosed mechanism, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The structure of the invention, in the rorm herein presented, comprises a casing I, in whichl Los Angeles, Calif.

23, 1935, Serial No. 41,644

ber 8, in which the dispensing mechanism is placed.

For the sake of simplicity, the merchandise 8 is here shown to consist of spherical articles, such as candy balls, gum, or the like, but I wish it understood that the device is adaptable for use in connection with other articles of merchandise.

Adjacent the lower end of the chutes is mounted a pivot I0, on which a series of release pawls II are rotatable, there being one pawl for each chute, and each pawl is positioned partly to close the lower, discharge opening of its corresponding chute. In view of this, it is seen that balls, stored in the chamber 1, are free to drop into and through the chutes, finally to be arrested by the pawls II. Springs I5 are provided, yieldingly to urge each pawl into the position shown. The tension of the springs I5 is such as to support only about two balls in each tube.

A series of levers It are freely pivotally mounted on a pivot shaft 2D to form rockers positioned to abut the lower end of the pawls I I and thereby normally to maintain these pawls in advanced position under the tubes. The rear ends of these rockers are shown resting on a bar 2I which, in turn, is mounted on a pivot 22 of the casing. Above the bar 2| is pivotally hung a trip plate 23 which, by means of a connecting link 24, is connected to operate the bar ZI, as will be described presently. The bar 2| is shown resting on a stop 25, and a spring 26 maintains the rockers I6 in position against this bar, all substantially as shown in the drawings.

A coin chute 2l is shown extending from the top of the casing to a point directly above the rear end of the trip plate 23. This chute is oi a size to receive and pass a coin of the denomination for which the machine is designed. Any such proper coin, dropped into this chute, will in its fall strike the rear end of the plate 23, causing the latter to tip on its pivot 26, thereby to draw the bar 2i upward suihciently to swing the rockers IE on their pivot, clear of the pawls II. The weight of the balls within the chutes 2 is now suiiicient to swing the liberated pawls Ii on their pivot, against the tension of the springs I5, sufficiently to permit the balls contacting the pawls to drop and to roll into a suitable tray 2S, from which the vendor then may remove the balls.

'I'he moment, however, that the contacting balls pass the pawls II, it is seen that the latter are free to return and by the spring I5 quickly are returned to their initial position thereby to permit the springs 26 to swing the rockers back into position behind the pawls. This movement of the spring actuated parts is so must faster than the action of the gravity impelled balls that the mechanism is reset before the next following row of balls has time surface lb.

to reach the ends of the pawls. The pawls Il are shown independently rotatable on the pivot I0 in order that each pawl may adjust itself to the size of the ball it contacts and so be certain again to `advance before the next following ball reaches it. Where, however, all the articles are exactly the same size, it may be possible to secure the pawls on the pivot for simultaneous rotation, in which case one spring may be found sufficient.

Each time `a coin is deposited, that operation is repeated until most of the balls in the magazine have been dispensed, whereupon the machine may be made inoperative in the following manner.

At the top of the machine is shown mounted Ea slide 48 provided with a perforation 40a of a size to receive a proper coin and to advance it into registration with a perforation 29@ of the top plate 29. Below this top plate is pivotally mounted a plate 4|, which normally is downwardly inclined to guide a coin advanced by the slide into the chute 2'1. The inclined bottom of the hopper l is shown perforated to receive a pivotally hung plate 42, which is shown with an arm 43, and a rod 44 extends from the end of this arm to an arm 45 of the coin guide yplate 4|.

The weight of the balls in the hopper is sufficient to depress the bottom plate 42 to maintain the guide plate 4| in its inclined position against the tension of a suitable spring 46. But ias the balls are dispensed, it is seen that this plate gradually becomes uncovered, and when enough balls -have been dispensed to relieve the pressure of the balls against the plate, it is to be noted that the spring 46 swings the coin guide plate 4| into the top-plate perforation 29a, thereby to prevent a coin, which at this moment or subsequently may be advanced, from dropping through the perforation. No more balls can be dispensed, and the coin slide may be pulled out to permit withdrawal of the deposited coin. The guide plate 4| should be shaped loosely to fit into the perforation 29a, and it is to this end made with a curved neck Ma of a size to clear a lip 2gb of the top plate. This downwardly curved lip is provided to facilitate retraction of the coin slide for withdrawal of an unusued coin. Without this rounded lip the returning coin might come to a stop against the edge of the perforation 29a to prevent retraction of the coin slide.

For uniform and positive action and least resistance to the various movements, I have found, by experiment, the following to be a very efficient arrangement:

When the blocking lever or pawl is in the ball supporting or retaining position, the radial surface Hb at one side of the pawl engages a preferably fiat end I6b of the rocker I6, which fiat end is positioned at and is perpendicular to a radial line or surface I6a of the rocker, which surface l5a is also perpendicular to the Thus, the stop or the engagement of the pawl with the end of the rocker is substantially in line with the axis of the rocker, providing a positive stop, and since the engaging surfaces are perpendicular to the radial line of the rocker, the slipping and wear is reduced to a minimum. As the rocker I6 is tilted and the rocker and the pawl or lever l| are rotated clockwise to discharge a ball, and the rocker is retracted by the spring 26, the surface Ita engages the end ||ad which is arcuate and concentric with the axis of the pawl Il. The circular construction of the end Il@ permits said end to slide freely over the surface I6a without movement of the rocker, and With a uniform resisting force exerted by the surface I6a against the arcuate surface and therefore of the pawl l The top of the ball magazine 'l may conveniently be held closed by a hinged lid 30, and suitably locked in position, as by a padlock 3|. A partition 32 may be placed in the lower rear part of the casing to form a coin container, and this container may be closed by a hinged door 33. A lock 34 suffices to maintain this door closed.

Means should be provided in connection with the coin slide and chute to prevent unauthorized operation of the mechanism, and various such means are so well known and commonly employed in coin controlled vending machines that it is thought unnecessary to burden this description or complicating the drawings therewith. Suitable means should also be provided at the bottom of the mechanism to prevent tampering with the pawls and the rocker I6, and such means is here, for the sake of simplicity, shown in the form of inclined plates 35-26 for guiding the balls into the tray 28.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the invention, I reserve the right to make such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim. Where sunicient space is present it may, for example, be possible to simplify the device by omitting; the bar 2| and positioning the plate 23 directly on the pivot 22. Nor do I limit myself to four merchandise chutes, as shown, but may employ more or less as required in actual practice.

I claim:

In a vending machine, a storage container having a discharge opening, a pivoted lever for blocking at its free end the discharge of articles thru said opening and having its pivotal axis to one side of and backwardly from said opening, said lever adapted to be tilted clear of the opening by articles in the container, a spring urging the free end of the lever over the opening, a coin controlled lever pivoted intermediate its ends and normally engaging at one end one end of the blocking lever for holding the latter in a blocking position, and a coin chute, the opposite end of the coin controlled lever being operable, by a coin passing thru the chute, for tilting the coin controlled lever clear of the blocking lever for releasing the latter to permit articles. to shift the blocking lever out of the way and thereby to be discharged from the container, the free end of the blocking lever being .arcuate and concentric with the pivotal axis of the blocking lever, and said arcuate surface adapted, when tilted by said discharging articles, to engage a surface at the side of and substantially radial with the coin controlled lever.

ARMIN J. KLOESS. 

